The Pilot's Lounge: Emergency/What-If Scenarios

It is valuable to think through all the possible emergencies in an airplane and then plan your response to them, all while sitting safely on the ground. An experienced surgery instructor -- and new pilot -- did just that, and provided his list for AVweb readers.

AVweb's Rick Durden recently corresponded with a surgery instructor who described one of the methods he used to teach new surgeons: He had them write down everything that could go wrong during an upcoming operation and then set out what should be done to deal with each anomaly. When he became a pilot, Dr. Aimette performed the same process for aviation. See how your list compares to his, and then work through what you would do in each circumstance. By thinking about each issue on the ground, you increase your chances of surviving when (not if) they happen in the air.